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STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Feb. 5, 1 884..

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- retracting device.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRIS HAYDEN, OF NEW' YOBK, N. Y.,' AND, EDWIN L. GILES, OF LOW' ELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE LAMSON CASH RAILVAY COM PANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

I i SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent No. 292,812,dated Felzruary 5, 1884.

Application fil tlAug'ust17,1883. (x model.)

setts, have invented certain Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is the specification.

Our invention has for its object to secure a positive transfer of the carrier of a store-service apparatus between the desk and counter or counters at the will of the salesman or attendants; and our invention consists in means fully described hereinafter, whereby the movements of the carriers back and forth between terminal stations may be effected in one or both directions by draft upon a cord, chain, or cable operated by the attendant.

Our invention further consists in certain details of constructionfully describedhereinafter,

2o andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating one of the series of ways between the main desk and counters or stations of a store, and our improvement embodied in an apparatus having a sliding carrier, draft-rope, and automatic Fig. 2 is a'plan of part of Fig. 3 is a side elevation in per Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the carthe device. spective.

rier and track.

ably supported by brackets or hangers; or it may consist of one or more wires drawn tightly between terminal supports or it may be an endless band or cable traveling round pulleys at the supportingpoints, and this way may extend 0 between the main desk and a counter or sta tion or from the main desk past a series of counters, the construction, so far as the present invention is concerned, being immaterial, provided the way serves as a guide andsup- 4 5 port for the carrier M, which, in case the way is a traveling cable or band, may be attached thereto, or so connected as tomove'therewith back and forth between the terminal stations.

When the way is stationaryeas, for instance, when it consists of parallel wires, (shown in the drawings, )the carrier slides thereon, and an endless belt, band, cord, or cable is attached to the carrier and passes round terminal pulleys. In any case the attendant," by moving the cord, is thereby enabled to movethe car rier back and forth positively, so as to carry it either toor from his desk or station, being thereby able to control its movements positively in both directions.

While both movements may be imparted directly by the act of the attendant, we prefer to so construct the apparatus that a movement of the carrier in one direction by the attendant shall be the means of storing up a power that shall move the carrier back to its starting -point. Thus. the way may be inclined, and the carrier may be drawn to the upper end of the incline by the attendant, and will then descend to the other end by gravity; orthe movement of the carrier in one direction turning the terminal pulleys may be the means of windingup a cord, 12, upon the shaft of one of said pulleys, or on a drum thereon, a weight, 70, upon the cord reversing the motion when the carrier is released; or the revolution of the pulley-shaft may Wind up a spring, the recoil of which reverses the motion.

The apparatus illustratediu the drawings shows another means which we have found to be effective, the cord F being connected to the lower'part of the carrier at one end, passing round a drum or pulley, H, one or more times, the shaft 10 of which turns in a bracket attached to the shelving behind the salesman, then passing to and around a guide-pulley, i, at the opposite end of the line, and back to the carrier, to the opposite end of which it is connected at a point near the top. The carrier may be moved by pulling upon the shaft-cord F; but as this would necessitate placing the apparatus nearer the floor of the store than is desirable, or the use of ladders or platforms by the attendants, we prefer to employ means whereby the elevated pulley H maybe turned by the attendants from their ordinary positions. Difierent means may be used, but 'we have shown a cord, K, and a drum, 1, upon I the pulley-shaft, smaller in diameter than the pulley, upon which the cord is wound when the carrier moves in one direction, so that by pulling the cord the pulley is turned and the carrier thereby propelled in the opposite direction. The draft upon the cord K and unwinding of the same from the drum and revolution of the shaft are the means of winding up a spring attached to the shalt w, or, preferably, to the shaft ofa second pulley, I, a cord, L, from which passes to a drum, \V, upon the shaft a. The power stored up in the coiling of the spring by drawing upon the cord K serves to reverse the rotation of the shafts and draw back the carrier.

To prevent the immediate return of the carrier as soon as the cord K is released, a clamp or catch, 0, is used, which engages with the carrier when it reaches its destination. As shown, the catch is a barbed spring-lever, l, which engages with a barbed arm on the carrier, and a cord, S, serves as a means of drawing down the lever 1, held in place by spring C, and releasing the carrier. The cord S may extend to either desk, or two cordsone extending to each dcskmay be used, so that the carrier may he released from either end of the line.

\Vhen a carriertravels past a series ofcount ers, the arresting devices may be operated from the desk so as to stop the carrier at any point desired.

The carriers may be of any desired construction, and may have ears (I, to Jest on the wire ways, as shown; or they may be provided with rollers or friction-wheels. The carrier may be a hollow box, as shown, with a hinged bottom, 1-, closed by a spring and opened by a pendent cord, 1, or otherwise, or the receptacle portion may be connected by extensible connections with the body, or the carriers may be arranged to dump the load.

\Vithout limiting ourselves to the construction and arrangement shown,and reserving for separate applications for Letters Patent such novel features as are not herein claimed, we claim 1. Inastore-serviceapparatusprovidcdwit-h ways extending between the several counters or stations and the main desk, a carrier traveling upon each way, and a cord extending to the terminal station and to themain desk, and serving as a meansfor propelling the carrier to or from either the station or desk, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the stations or counters and desk of a store, of the several ways, one extending from the desk to each counter or station. and a carrier traveling upon each way, and a cord extending in opposite directions from each carrier, whereby to move it in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a carrier traveling between the stations of a store, terminal drums, a cord extending from each end of the carrier and round one of said drums, and a cord wound upon the drum-shaft and extending to the desk or counter, substantially as set forth.

4. A carrier of a store-service apparatus provided with a cord for drawing it in one direction, and with means whereby power is thus stored up to move the carrier in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

5. A storeservice apparatus in which the carrier is combined with means whereby to propel it in one direction by the atteudant,and for returning it automatically by power created by the force first applied to propel. the carrier, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a carrier, of a traction-cord, drum upon or round which the said cord is wound, and a spring or weight arranged to operate on said drum, whereby power is stored upon moving the carrier in one direction to automatically move it in the opposite direction, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, in a store-service apparatus, of a fixed way, a carrier moving thereon, and a draft-cord extending from opposite ends of the carrier and round pulleys, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the carrier, dra ftcord, drums 11 UV, and cord K, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the carrier, draftcord, windingdrum II, and spring or weight connected to operate said drum after the carrier has been moved in a direction to store up the power of the spring, as specified.

10. The combination of the carrier, draftropc, device for storing up power to retract the carrier on the outward movement of the carrier, and a catch whereby the carrier is retained against the action of the power thus stored up, substantially as specified.

11. The combination of the carrier, draftcord, spring, or its equivalent, catch, and one or more cords, S, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the main desk and counters of a store, of a series of permanent ways, each provided with a carrier, and

draft-cords extending to the terminal stations, whereby said carriers may be moved back and forth between the stations, substantially as set forth.

13. A traveling carrier upon the way of a store-service apparatus, provided with a pendent cord or rod, whereby it may be opened while supported by the way, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signedour names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRIS lI. HAYDEN. EDWIN L. GILES. \Vilnesses:

WM. .Tncsnow, Wit. 1 Dn Lxex.

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